this is a whole lot of lemons ((tag bizarro-clark))

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clark

this is a whole lot of lemons ((tag bizarro-clark))

April was still trying to deal with the news she received on Christmas day, that the 'Phantom' was falling in love with her and that her Clark was still missing. Life seemed so hard to live following that... and for a week she just had to deal with her inner turmoils and thoughts. There was few she could turn to for comfort, as having 'Clark-Phantom' around was better than no Clark.

New Year's Day passed with no celebration for her. And It was only by some sort of twisted luck that all of this happened around Christmas holidays. So April could deal with her emotions without having to worry about school.

A full week went by before April finally PINpointed to the farm, where 'Clark-Phantom' was staying. Part of it was to check on the farm itself, to make sure that he was caring for the animals and wasn't raising suspicions with Raya. The other part was to check on the Phantom, who was developing touches of humanity himself. Was trying to find himself.

As bad as things sucked right now for her, April still wanted to help. She couldn't feel for The Phantom the way he claimed he felt for her. But he needed one person who he could be honest around, and right now she was it.

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"I sense that Brainaic can still use the scientist to strengthen himself." April states. "If we go after Dax-Ur, we have to be careful."

"I'm going after him, whether you two are helping or not," the phantom declares, ready and willing to be defiant if Clark disagrees. "You can either help me find the shield, or get out of my way."

Clark actually has recognition at the mention of the shield, thinking about the Kryptonian device that they found in the time capsule during Kara's Miss Sweet Corn phase. And the phantom notices, knowing his face as well as his own. "You know where it is."

Well. There's little point in denying it, and Clark looks him right in the eye. "Yes."

"Please Clark, I know you don't trust either of us. But it is a little dangerous to trust Brainaic either."

"What is this shield?" April glances over at her boyfriend.

"It's some kind of distress signal. Every Kryptonian who came to Earth - before the last days, I mean - had one on them in case they got into trouble somehow and needed to call for help. It's also a kind of tracking device. If Dax-Ur got rid of his on purpose, it's because he didn't want to be found."

"So we could use this shield to locate Dax-Ur. But there must be a reason why he didn't want to be found."

"I get the feeling there is more to this situation that we are seeing." And both of them should recognize the seriousness of her feelings.

"So do I," he agrees. Fully trusting her instincts. "Anything that Brainiac wants you to do has to have strings attached to it. You have my memories; you know he lies to get what he wants."

The phantom has to agree, however reluctantly. "Then what are we going to do?" he challenges them.

Clark thinks about it. Turning over their options in his head. And finally turns to April. "If you touch the shield without activating it, do you think you can track him down?" She's been able to find people by using their personal belongings before.

"Yes. I could." April is confident in her powers.

He nods, looking at the phantom and thinking of the shield's location, in the drawer of his desk in the loft. "I'll stay here with Clark in case he gets any ideas about going without us," he says, not wanting the phantom to know where the device is kept.

The phantom crosses his arms over his chest. "Nice to see you trust me, Kal-El." Although the thought had crossed his mind.

"Please try not to do anything to each other." April asks, before leave to get the Shield. Knowing that it is something that Brainaic wants... she is going to teleport it to that Nexus pocket where the other Kryptonian artifacts are kept after she uses her powers on it.

Touching the sheild, April calls upon her powers to get a reading on Dax-Ur, and anything else her voices want to warn her about.

Edited 2011-09-18 03:00 (UTC)

"I won't if he doesn't," Clark tells her. The phantom says nothing, just staring him down.

Once she tries to look for him, Dax-Ur is easy to find. He's in a remote part of Arizona, a town smaller than Smallville, working in his own mechanic shop fixing cars. Oddly, he doesn't feel Kryptonian the same way Clark and his brethren do. More like some depowered Kryptonians she's met over the years.

And the beacon itself triggers a warning to her voices. If activated, Brainiac will sense it, and track it to its source. And once he finds Dax-Ur, he will be able to return himself to full power once more.

It is a satisfying feeling to send the beacon unactivated to her Nexus dimension, where Brainaic can't trace it to its source.

Returning to the two men, April looks determined. "Brainaic had intended to use the sheild to find Dax-Ur too, and restore himself to full power."

"But I was able to learn where Dax-Ur was without activating it. We need to go to Arizona." She mentally sends Kal-El the exact location.

"Great," the phantom says. "Let's go."

Clark catches his arm before he can go looking. Not to hurt him, but to hold him there in an iron grip. "Not so fast. You look way too much like me for us to be showing up together."

"Dax-Ur doesn't have any Kryptonian powers right now, and might respond better to Kal-El. If you can trust him to go Clark, I will stay here with you."

"No powers?" her boyfriend repeats, sounding surprised.

"All the more reason to go together," the phantom counters. "He won't be able to fight us if that's what he's after. We can say we're twins or something. You're not going without me."

"He has been depowered. So there doesn't need to go in full force."

"Clark, I will stay in contact with Kal-El and tell you everything. It will be like you are there."

"He won't ask what I want him to ask," the phantom insists. "I have to go. Look, it's sunny in Arizona, right? It'll be obvious what I am. And you can keep me under control better there."

Kal-El has to admit, it's a compelling argument to let him come along. He's faced the phantom once in sunlight, and he knows that he can defeat him in combat in that setting. "April... if we all go, can you keep him in line?"

"All I can do is try." April glances at the Phantom. "I think of you as a better person now. A friend in a fashion."

She really hopes that he doesn't break that trust. "Let's go."

The phantom still doesn't know if he can trust either of them, but he's desperate enough to fix himself that he's willing to put himself in danger. At least for the moment.

Kal-El decides that it makes more sense to put in their destination by PINpoint, so he teleports them all outside the dusty garage in Arizona, where Dax-Ur is supposed to live. Upon arrival, the phantom's exposed skin splinters into that shattered stone texture, and he grimaces, growling involuntarily. But he doesn't make any hostile moves, putting April in between himself and the real Kryptonian in the group.

"I'll go in first," Kal-El tells them. "We want to ease him into it if he's going to help us."

"We will wait here." April opens her mental link to Kal-El for support.

A little concerned, she glances at the Phantom. "Are you in pain?"

"Of course I am," he growls, sounding angry. But it's not anger at her. "You think it's bad when your boyfriend runs into kryptonite. This is the same thing, for me."

"If you need to get into the shade for a while, before having to reveal yourself to Dax-Ur please let me know." April doesn't want him to unnecessary feel pain. But thinks it is brave he is handling it so well.

He doesn't think it's brave. Life is pain, even if this was something he'd hoped he could leave behind him. And he'll endure it so long as he has to. "We'll see."

Inside the garage, Kal-El has found an older man who seems to recognize the name Dax-Ur, though he tries to deny it. And there's no denying the surprised recognition as he introduces himself by his true Kryptonian name. "The House of El," the old man murmurs, almost wonderingly. "You always were survivors."

April keeps her senses alert to the situation. She doesn't know how life will work if they do find a cure for the Phantom.

There is always going to be tension between Clark-Phantom and Kal-El.

Edited 2011-09-18 03:57 (UTC)

Despite Dax-Ur's apparent want to be isolated from other Kryptonians, he doesn't seem to mind Kal-El being here. He's downright friendly. Human.

And Kal-El is startled to see a small boy greet him with a cry of "Daddy!" And a human woman, apparently Dax-Ur's wife, named Grace, who ushers the boy out when she sees her husband has a 'customer.'

"You live as a human," he says slowly. "With a family." He wasn't expecting that. Almost a glimpse of his own hope for their race. "You have blue kryptonite?"

Dax-Ur nods, and rolls up the sleeve of his mechanic jumpsuit. Underneath, he has a handmade leather strap around his wrist, a large chunk of blue kryptonite attached to it. And tells him about how he came to wear it, leaving his old life behind him.

Listening through her bond, April can't help but smile to learn another Kryptonian has a family. And found love. It is interesting to learn that he is wearing the blue Kryptonite by choice too.

"Dax-Ur has been living as a human, by choice." She tells the Phantom.

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Ahhh, the name thing is getting confusing, lol

Tell me about it

Think I'll switch to calling the real Clark "Kal-El" for a while if I can remember it

good idea

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